Footwear insole with adjustable arch support

ABSTRACT

A footwear insole includes an insole body extending along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions. An elongated recessed arch cavity is formed in the insole body at an arch region between the end regions. The recessed arch cavity has a bottom opening at a lower surface of the insole body. One of a plurality of arch inserts of different hardnesses is selected, and is inserted through the bottom opening and mounted in the recessed arch cavity for supporting a wearer&#39;s arch during wear. The selected arch insert is adjustably positioned at a selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction for adjustably supporting the wearer&#39;s arch.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to footwear insoles and, more particularly, to adjustable arch supports for such insoles.

BACKGROUND

In the footwear industry, insoles can either be permanently integrated with a shoe during manufacture, or can be removable from the shoe to enable a customer, for example, to replace a worn insole with a new insole. The design and manufacture of an insole is complicated by the fact that different consumers have different footwear needs, e.g., different foot shapes, different foot sizes, different skeletal alignments, different anatomical issues, and the like. Different consumers also have different footwear comfort preferences in terms of desiring different levels of cushioning at different heel, arch and/or toe regions of the insole. For example, for a consumer with fallen arches or flat feet, a customized arch support having a particular resistance to compression or hardness is desirable for comfort.

Accordingly, a need exists to adjustably support a wearer's arch with an insole to suit individual needs and preferences of the wearer, and to produce such an insole in an economic fashion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an exploded, bottom plan view of a kit including a footwear insole with multiple arch inserts of different hardnesses in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

The insole components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A footwear insole, in accordance with one feature of this invention, comprises an insole body extending along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions, and an elongated recessed arch cavity located at an arch region between the end regions. The insole body has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface. The recessed arch cavity has a bottom opening at the lower surface of the insole body. An adjustable arch insert is inserted through the bottom opening and is mounted in the recessed arch cavity for supporting a wearer's arch during wear. The arch insert is adjustably positioned at a selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction for adjustably supporting the wearer's arch.

In a preferred embodiment, the insole body is generally configured in a foot shape in plan view. The insole body can be a full insole or a partial insole, such as a three-quarter style insole. The arch insert is preferably generally configured in an arcuate or C-shape in plan view and resembles the shape of a human kidney. The insole body preferably includes a sheet of a resilient foam material adhered over, and optionally laminated to, a main member of an elastomeric gel material.

Advantageously, a plurality of arch inserts is provided for the insole body. The arch inserts are constituted of compressible material that resists compression with different predetermined hardnesses. A wearer selects the insert with the desired hardness, e.g., soft, medium, or firm, inserts the selected insert through the bottom opening, and places the selected insert in the recessed arch cavity at the arch region, for supporting the wearer's arch with the selected hardness. The selected arch insert is preferably fully or substantially contained in the recessed arch cavity, but may also extend sightly past the lower surface of the insole body.

To securely hold the selected arch insert in the cavity, a plurality of projections is advantageously provided on each arch insert, and a plurality of recesses is provided on the insole body. The recesses receive the projections, preferably with a snug friction-tight fit, when the selected arch insert is mounted in the recessed arch cavity. The projections are preferably non-collinearly arranged along an arc, and are spaced apart, on each arch insert, to resist rotation of the arch insert relative to the insole body. The projections and recesses correctly position the selected arch insert, and help to secure the selected arch insert in place. In addition, the selected arch insert may be held in place by a proper selection of foam or elastomer materials that have natural adhesion properties. Many thermoplastic or thermosetting elastomer and foam materials will self-bond (stick) to each other when brought into mutual contact. Such self-bonding materials can also be readily removed or pulled apart with no damage.

To adjustably position the selected arch insert along the longitudinal direction in and along the cavity, the recesses are preferably arranged in groups spaced along the longitudinal direction. In a preferred embodiment, three groups are arranged at different distances away from one of the end regions, e.g., a heel region, of the insole body. This feature accommodates the individual needs and preferences of the wearer.

Turning now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 generally identifies a kit that includes a footwear insole 20 and a plurality of arch inserts 30, 32 and 34 constituted of compressible material that resists compression with different predetermined hardnesses, e.g., soft, medium, or firm, as described below. The number of arch inserts 30, 32 and 34 can be different from the three illustrated. Each arch insert 30, 32 and 34 is preferably generally configured in an arcuate or C-shape in plan view and resembles the shape of a human kidney.

The insole 20 comprises an insole body 22 extending along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions, e.g., a toe or front region 24 and a heel or rear region 26. In a preferred embodiment, the insole body 22 is generally configured in a foot shape in plan view. The insole body 22 can be a full insole or a partial insole, such as a three-quarter style insole, as shown in FIG. 1. The insole body 22 has an elongated recessed arch cavity 38 located at an arch region 28 between the toe and heel end regions 24, 26. The recessed arch cavity 38 has an arcuate or C-shape. The insole body 22 has an upper surface 12 that faces and engages a wearer's foot during wear, and a lower surface 14 (shown with a tread or roughened surface) opposite the upper surface 12 and facing away from the wearer's foot. The recessed arch cavity 38 has an access bottom opening at the lower surface 14 of the insole body 22 to accept one of the arch inserts 30, 32 and 34, as described below.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the insole body 22 includes a sheet 16 of a resilient foam material adhered over a main member 18 of an elastomeric gel material. The foam material may be a closed cell (resistant to water and air flow) polymeric foam, such as some neoprenes, or an open cell (permeable to water and air flow) foamed polymer, such as some polyurethanes. The foam material used herein typically has a firmness rating from a soft level of about 2 pounds per square inch (psi) to a hard level of about 10 psi. Other resilient materials that provide a good shock absorption characteristic when compressed, as well as a good spring back or rebound characteristic after compression, are also contemplated by this invention.

The elastomeric gel material of the member 18 below the foam sheet 16 may be any polymeric material that is deformable and compressible, such as a thermosetting polyurethane gel, which has good cushioning and energy absorbing properties due to its dense structure. In a preferred embodiment, the polymeric gel has a Shore “00” scale durometer hardness in the range of from about 20 to about 60, and preferably from about 30 to about 50; a tensile strength of from about 22 to about 40 pounds per square inch and preferably from about 27 to about 33 pounds per square inch; exhibits from about 100% to about 450% elongation and preferably from about 160% to about 390% elongation; and a compression of from about 5.5% to about 8.5%, and preferably from about 6.5% to about 7.9%. Other gel materials, such as thermoplastic styrene gel, are also contemplated by this invention.

A fabric sheet (not illustrated) may be adhered to the top side of the foam sheet 12 of the gel member 18. Alternatively, the fabric sheet may be directly adhered to the gel member 18, without the use of the foam sheet 12. The fabric sheet can be made from a synthetic fiber such as nylon, a natural fiber or a blend thereof. Nylon has a low coefficient of friction which reduces surface wear and allows a wearer's foot to slide. Thus, nylon helps reduce the likelihood of blisters, by having a low coefficient of friction, and resistance to localized surface wear. Other fabric materials, such as polyester, are also contemplated by this invention.

Each arch insert 30, 32 and 34 is preferably constituted of, and made from, the gel material described above, but each insert is formulated with a different durometer or hardness, as measured on the Shore “00” hardness scale. Advantageously, the gel materials in the inserts are formulated so that their hardnesses can be categorized as soft, medium or hard. For example, insert 30 can have a Shore hardness in the range of from about 20 to about 30 and be classified as soft; insert 32 can have a Shore hardness in the range of from about 40 to about 50 and be classified as medium; and insert 34 can have a Shore hardness in the range of from about 60 to about 70 and be classified as hard. The inserts 30, 32 and 34 can be colored with different colors, or be provided with different indicia, to assist a wearer in visually distinguishing among the inserts to select the one having the desired hardness.

A wearer selects the insert with the desired hardness, e.g., soft, medium, or firm, inserts the selected insert through the bottom opening, and places the selected insert into the recessed arch cavity 38 at the arch region, for supporting the wearer's arch with the selected hardness. The selected arch insert is preferably fully or substantially contained in the recessed arch cavity 38, but may extend slightly past the lower surface 14 of the insole body 22.

To align, position and securely hold the selected arch insert in the cavity 38, a plurality of raised posts or projections is provided on each arch insert 30, 32 and 34, and a plurality of sunken recesses is provided on the insole body 22 in the cavity 38. More particularly, a first set of projections 40 is provided on arch insert 30, a second set of projections 42 is provided on arch insert 32, and a third set of projections 44 is provided on arch insert 34. Still more particularly, a first group of recesses 46A, 46B and 46C is provided in a forward region of the cavity 38, a second group of recesses 48A, 48B and 48C is provided in a rearward region of the cavity 38, and a third group of recesses 50A, 50B and 50C is provided in a middle region of the cavity 38. As illustrated, the first group is closest to the toe region 24 as considered along the longitudinal direction, the second group is closest to the heel region 26 as considered along the longitudinal direction, and the third group is located between the first and second groups.

A selected group of the recesses receives the set of projections of a selected insert, preferably with a snug friction-tight fit, when the selected arch insert is mounted in the recessed arch cavity 38. Due to material selection, the interior surface of the cavity 38 and the exterior surface of each insert are advantageously tacky, which helps to maintain the selected insert in place. The wearer decides where the selected insert is mounted along the longitudinal direction to accommodate the individual needs and preferences of the wearer. Each set of projections are preferably non-collinearly arranged along an arc, and are spaced apart, on each arch insert, to align and resist rotation of the arch insert relative to the insole body Likewise, the recesses of each group are non-collinearly arranged along an arc, and are spaced apart.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, a method of adjustably supporting a wearer's arch is performed by configuring a footwear insole with an insole body that extends along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions, by forming an elongated recessed arch cavity in the insole body at an arch region between the end regions, the recessed arch cavity having a bottom opening at a lower surface of the insole body, by inserting an arch insert through the bottom opening, by mounting the arch insert in the recessed arch cavity to support the wearer's arch during wear, and by adjustably positioning the arch insert at a selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction to adjustably support the wearer's arch.

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. For example, the number of projections on each insert, and the number of recesses in each group need not be limited to the three illustrated.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, or contains a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a,” “has . . . a,” “includes . . . a,” or “contains . . . a,” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, or contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially,” “essentially,” “approximately,” “about,” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1%, and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter. 

1. A footwear insole, comprising: an insole body extending along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions, the insole body having an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, and an elongated recessed arch cavity located at an arch region between the end regions, the recessed arch cavity having a bottom opening at the lower surface of the insole body; and an adjustable arch insert inserted through the bottom opening and mounted in the recessed arch cavity for supporting a wearer's arch during wear, the arch insert being adjustably positioned at a selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction for adjustably supporting the wearer's arch.
 2. The insole of claim 1, wherein the insole body is generally configured in a foot shape in plan view, and wherein the arch insert is generally configured in an arcuate shape in plan view.
 3. The insole of claim 1, wherein the insole body includes a sheet of a resilient foam material adhered over a main member of an elastomeric gel material.
 4. The insole of claim 1, wherein the arch insert is constituted of a compressible material that resists compression with a first predetermined hardness, and further comprising another adjustable arch insert constituted of a compressible material that resists compression with a second predetermined hardness that is different from the first predetermined hardness, one of the arch inserts being selected for insertion through the bottom opening and mounting in the recessed arch cavity, for supporting the wearer's arch with the selected one of the hardnesses.
 5. The insole of claim 4, and further comprising still another adjustable arch insert constituted of a compressible material that resists compression with a third predetermined hardness that is different from the first and second predetermined hardnesses, one of the arch inserts being selected for insertion through the bottom opening and mounting in the recessed arch cavity, for supporting the wearer's arch with the selected one of the hardnesses.
 6. The insole of claim 1, wherein the arch insert is substantially contained in the recessed arch cavity.
 7. The insole of claim 1, wherein one of the insole body and the arch insert has a plurality of projections, and wherein the other of the insole body and the arch insert has a plurality of recesses for receiving the projections when the arch insert is mounted in the recessed arch cavity.
 8. The insole of claim 7, wherein the projections are provided on the arch insert, and wherein the recesses are provided on the insole body.
 9. The insole of claim 7, wherein the projections are arranged along an arc on the arch insert.
 10. The insole of claim 7, wherein the plurality of projections are spaced apart on the arch insert, and wherein the plurality of recesses spaced apart on the insole body to resist rotation of the arch insert relative to the insole body.
 11. The insole of claim 8, wherein one of the end regions of the insole body is a heel region; and wherein a first group of the recesses is spaced along the longitudinal direction away from the heel region to position the arch support at a first spacing relative to the heel region; and wherein a second group of the recesses is spaced along the longitudinal direction away from the heel region to position the arch support at a second spacing relative to the heel region, the second spacing being greater than the first spacing.
 12. The insole of claim 11, wherein a third group of the recesses is spaced along the longitudinal direction away from the heel region to position the arch support at a third spacing relative to the heel region, the third spacing being greater than the first and second spacings.
 13. The insole of claim 12, wherein each group of the recesses is arranged along an arc on the insole body.
 14. A method of adjustably supporting a wearer's arch, comprising: configuring a footwear insole with an insole body that extends along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions; forming an elongated recessed arch cavity in the insole body at an arch region between the end regions, the recessed arch cavity having a bottom opening at a lower surface of the insole body; inserting an arch insert through the opening, and mounting the arch insert in the recessed arch cavity to support the wearer's arch during wear; and adjustably positioning the arch insert at a selected one of a plurality of positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction to adjustably support the wearer's arch. 